On classical and quantum relativistic dynamics

A canonical formalism for the relativistic classical mechanics of many particles is proposed. The evolution equations for a charged particle in an electromagnetic field are obtained and the relativistic two-body problem with an invariant interaction is treated. Along the same line a quantum formalism for the spinless relativistic particle is obtained by means of imprimitivity systems according to Mackey theory. A quantum formalism for the spin-1/2 particle is constructed and a new definition of spin1/2 in relativity is proposed. An evolution equation for the spin-1/2 particle in an external electromagnetic field is given. The Bargmann Michel, and Telegdi equation follows from this formalism as a quasiclassical approximation. Finally, a new relativistic model for hydrogenlike atoms is proposed. The spectrum predicted is in agreement with Dirac's when radiative corrections have been added.     

A Classical and Quantum Relativistic Interacting Variable-Mass Model

A classical and quantum relativistic interacting particle formalism is revisited. A Hilbert space is achieved through the use of variable individual particle rest masses, but no c-number mass parameter is required for the relativistic free particle. Boosted center of momentum states feature in both the free and interacting model. The implications of a failure to impose simultaneity conditions at the classical level are explored. The implementation of these conditions at the quantum level leads to a finite uncertainty in interaction times, perhaps more closely modeling the exchange of virtual particles in quantum field theory. This work is compared and contrasted with other variable mass models in the literature.     

Quantum theory: A Hilbert space formalism for probability theory

It is shown that the Hilbert space formalism of quantum mechanics can be derived as a corrected form of probability theory. These constructions yield the Schrödinger equation for a particle in an electromagnetic field and exhibit a relationship of this equation to Markov processes. The operator formalism for expectation values is shown to be related to anL ² representation of marginal distributions and a relationship of the commutation rules for canonically conjugate observables to a topological relationship of two manifolds is indicated.     

Particle Correlation in Quantum Field Theory. II

This is the second and last instalment of the investigation of particle correlation in quantum field theory for fundamental processes with two-mono-energetic particle productions. The angular correlation is defined as the average (epectation value) of the cosine of the angle between the momenta of the two outgoing particles. A positive correlation indicates, in a statistical sense, that the particles tend to travel in the same directions (as in beam formation) while a negative one that they tend to travel in opposing directions. The angular correlation of γγ produced in pair annihilation of charged particles in scalar quantum electrodynamics, scalar-pair production by charged and neutral Nambu strings, as well as e⁺e^— pair-production by a Neutral Nambu string are studied in detail.     

Arrival time in quantum field theory

Via the proper-time eigenstates (event states) instead of the proper-mass eigenstates (particle states), free-motion time-of-arrival theory for massive spin-1/2 particles is developed at the level of quantum field theory. The approach is based on a position-momentum dual formalism. Within the framework of field quantization, the total time-of-arrival is the sum of the single event-of-arrival contributions, and contains zero-point quantum fluctuations because the clocks under consideration follow the laws of quantum mechanics.     

Gravitational vacuum hypothesis and cosmology with variable particle number

We discuss a heurisitic model of gravitational vacuum as a set of virtual, radiating planckeons, particles with Planck size (L) and mass (/cL). Combined with Dirac's large number hypothesis, this gives the minimum universe scale factor valuea _min10^–13 cm, the strong interaction length (a = L just whena=a _min ). Taking this state as an initial one using standard quantum techniques, we consider particle creation by planckeons. Under some reasonable assumptions we obtain the present number of particles with nucleon mass close to observations,N 10⁸⁰. A criterion for gravitational stability of particles is formulated and some applications of the corresponding mass formula are considered. In particular, Fermi's weak interaction constant is expressed in terms ofa andL and a finite value for the neutrino mass is obtained.     

Quantum relativistic action at a distance

A well-known relativistic action at a distance interaction of two unequal masses is altered so as to yield purely Newtonian radial forces with fixed particle rest masses in the system center-of-momentum inertial frame. Although particle masses experience no kinematic mass increase in this frame, speeds are naturally restricted to less than the speed of light. We derive a relation between the center-of-momentum frame total Newtonian energy and the composite rest mass. In a new proper time quantum formalism, we obtain an L²(R⁴ R⁴, C) Hilbert space by varying individual particle rest masses. We propose the use of density operators, recognizing that the auxiliary proper time parameter is not an observable. The quantum formalism is applied to our altered version of the relativistic harmonic oscillator. Our generalized coherent states yield four-dimensional wave packets which follow the correct classical world lines. Appendices contain reviews of classical Hamiltonian reparametrization (incorporating our notion of manifest covariance), and a comparison of this work with the literature.     

On the physics of λφ4 in aℝ2×S 1 space

The physics of λφ⁴ quantum field theory in a space with a closed dimension (?²×S ¹) is studied on the basis of a varitional approach, which supports the existence of two interacting phases of the minkowskian λφ⁴ on nonperturbative grounds. As the lengthL of the closed dimension decreases (1/L becomes the relevant scale), triviality restoration is encountered in the “precarious” phase, as well as symmetry restoration in the “autonomous” phase. The close relation to the finite temperature formalism allows to uncover a temperature symmetry restoration of theT=0 spontaneously broken phase.     

Discrete accidental symmetry for a particle in a constant magnetic field on a torus

A classical particle in a constant magnetic field undergoes cyclotron motion on a circular orbit. At the quantum level, the fact that all classical orbits are closed gives rise to degeneracies in the spectrum. It is well-known that the spectrum of a charged particle in a constant magnetic field consists of infinitely degenerate Landau levels. Just as for the 1/r and r² potentials, one thus expects some hidden accidental symmetry, in this case with infinite-dimensional representations. Indeed, the position of the center of the cyclotron circle plays the role of a Runge-Lenz vector. After identifying the corresponding accidental symmetry algebra, we re-analyze the system in a finite periodic volume. Interestingly, similar to the quantum mechanical breaking of CP invariance due to the θ-vacuum angle in non-Abelian gauge theories, quantum effects due to two self-adjoint extension parameters θ_x and θ_y explicitly break the continuous translation invariance of the classical theory. This reduces the symmetry to a discrete magnetic translation group and leads to finite degeneracy. Similar to a particle moving on a cone, a particle in a constant magnetic field shows a very peculiar realization of accidental symmetry in quantum mechanics.     

Nonlinear approach to electrodynamics

A nonlinear approach to electrodynamics is reviewed. On imposing a nonlinear constraintA A = – ², together with the usual gauge-invariant electromagnetic field Lagrangian, it is found that the resulting equations of motion have, besides the photon, a static spherically symmetric extended solution which may be regarded as a charged particle. A magnetic dipole moment (spin) can also arise as a solution of the equations of motion if, as expected, it is treated as a first-order quantum effect. In the limit for small quantum fields and pointlike charged particles, the quantum mechanical equivalence of the approach with the usual Lagrangian formulation of the electromagnetic interaction of a charged scalar field is heuristically shown. Moreover the possibility of constructing charged fermion fields from the solution having both a charge and a magnetic moment is illustrated. In such an approach the photon is associated with the spontaneous breaking of Lorentz symmetry, and the emission of soft photons does not exhibit any infrared divergences.     

Functional approach to scattering in quantum field theory

A functional approach to scattering theory in quantum field theory is developed by deriving an explicit functional expression fortransition amplitudes. In applications, the formalism avoids dealing with noncommutativity problems of field operators, avoids solving the field equations, avoids dealing with the often quite complicated continual (path) integrals, and avoids combinatoric problems associated with Feynman rules and the old-fashioned Wick's theorem. Finally, it avoids explicitly taking mass shell limits as in the LSZ formalism. The basic idea of the formalism is to use the quantum action principle followed by a systematic analysis of the concept of stimulated emissions as applied to particles of any spin, and is a generalization of an earlier method applied by the author to the much simpler situation of quantum mechanics.     

Geometric quantization in the presence of an electromagnetic field

Some aspects of the formalism of geometric quantization are described emphasizing the role played by the symmetry group of the quantum system which, for the free particle, turns out to be a central extensionG(_m) of the Galilei groupG. The resulting formalism is then applied to the case of a particle interacting with the electromagnetic field, which appears as a necessary modification of the connection 1-form of the quantum bundle when its invariance group is generalized to alocal extension ofG. Finally, the quantization of the electric charge in the presence of a Dirac monopole is also briefly considered.     

A search for new massive particles

We have searched for an almost stable, charged particle produced in 400 GeV proton-nucleus collisions. A total of 5 × 10¹⁰ light secondary particles were sampled in a secondary beam of 70 GeV/c momentum. If a 4.5 to 6.0 GeV mass particle is produced with a cross section comparable with the production cross section of the upsilon then this experiment places an upper limit on the lifetime of such a particle of about 5 × 10^?8 s.     

Higher-Order Kinetic Term for Controlling Photon Mass in Off-Shell Electrodynamics

In relativistic classical and quantum mechanics with Poincaré-invariant parameter, particle worldlines are traced out by the evolution of spacetime events. The formulation of a covariant canonical framework for the evolving events leads to a dynamical theory in which mass conservation is demoted from a priori constraint to the status of conserved Noether current for a certain class of interactions. In pre-Maxwell electrodynamics—the local gauge theory associated with this framework —events induce five local off-shell fields, which mediate interactions between instantaneous events, not between the worldlines which represent entire particle histories. The fifth field, required to compensate for dependence of gauge transformations on the evolution parameter, enables the exchange of mass between particles and fields. In the equilibrium limit, these pre-Maxwell fields are pushed onto the zero-mass shell, but during interactions there is no mechanism regulating the mass that photons may acquire, even when event trajectories evolve far into the spacelike region. This feature of the off-shell formalism requires the application of some ad hoc mechanism for controlling the photon mass in two opposite physical domains: the low energy motion of a charged event in classical Coulomb scattering, and the renormalization of off-shell quantum electrodynamics. In this paper, we discuss a nonlocal, higher derivative correction to the photon kinetic term, which provides regulation of the photon mass in a manner which preserves the gauge invariance and Poincaré covariance of the original theory. We demonstrate that the inclusion of this term is equivalent to an earlier solution to the classical Coulomb problem, and that the resulting quantum field theory is renormalized.     

Magnetic charge,black holes,and cosmic censorship

The possibility of converting a Reissner-Nordström black hole into a naked singularity by means of test particle accretion is considered. The dually charged Reissner-Nordström metric describes a black hole only when M² > Q³ + P². The test particle equations of motion are shown to allow test particles with arbitrarily large magnetic charge/mass ratios to fall radially into electrically charged black holes. To determine the nature of the final state (black hole or naked singularity) an exact solution of Einstein's equations representing a spherical shell of magnetically charged dust falling into an electrically charged black hole is studied. Naked singularities are never formed so long as the weak energy condition is obeyed by the infalling matter. The differences between the spherical shell model and an infalling point test particle are examined and discussed.